Kingdom Hearts III: Keeper's Chosen
by Maux
Summary: Sora and Co. receive a letter to a reunion at Disney Castle. A new Galactic Empire has come into power, and different groups and organizations are all vying to get to Kingdom Hearts first. He who rules the door rules the future.
1. Prelude

A/N: After reading a few stories out there that are by far the greatest Kingdom Hearts stories I will ever read, I've decided to try my hand at my own, since Disney is being drawn out I am going to take things from movies, books, videogames, anime, possibly marvel, and final fantasy, and possibly another square-enix game some people love and others hate. I will try to fit in as many Disney movies I can, but will never be as good as say Laredo Tornado (Read his stories best ever!). Well here begins the opening of my epic, a word before we start, don't judge on the first chapter I sometimes have problems opening a story, but afterwards it will become better. Also as you will be able to tell by this chapter Star Wars will play a large role. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Might as well get this done and over with, If you recognize anything than it is not mine, I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the things that may appear in it. I could get my lawyers but doubt they would have much success. Do not own, is not for profit.

Kingdom Hearts III: Keeper's Chosen

Prelude: Letter

In the blackness that is the dream realm, the realm where Sora and later Roxas visited and received their items of choice, where they always go before a mission begins. The realm not only was a training ground but it was the realm where the doors were kept. Hundreds upon hundreds of doors, and the people at the round table were its keepers.

There were nine figures out the table, each holding the power of one of the elements, they were the guardians of the doors. Recently though the door to Kingdom Hearts, the door that was the key to all others had been opened. Therefore they once again crafted the Master Keyblade and chose a young boy to stop the one responsible.

Almost immediately darkness sought the wielder they had chosen out and attempted to turn him. Slowly the members of the Keepers watched in despair as his heart was slowly being led to darkness; he had yet to meet true darkness.

Something happened though the Keepers did not expect, the Keyblade went to the wrong person, and despite their better judgments it went to the Right person. Upon discovering who the Keyblade was to go to, one member of the Keepers inducted him into the ceremony to bind him to the Keyblade. Thus was born the Keyblade Master.

The Keepers watched as the boy named Sora defeated every obstacle thrown at him and when the time came and the door was actually opened he discovered the truth, and not a moment to soon. The Keepers relaxed for a bit.

Soon though another threat to the door showed itself and this time an almost carbon copy of the Keyblade Master appeared; it was his Nobody. The Keepers puzzled at this new event was careful in what it did and watched from afar the events that occurred. Yet again the evil was stopped.

Recently however, a change in winds was occurring. A darkness none of the Keepers had felt since the last Keyblade War arose, a new enemy had appeared and it was time for the Keyblade Master to return to his duty.

"This is getting too far out of hand. Maleficent has gone too far this time!" A voice filled with anger growled out in the darkness. It came from a man dressed in only red shorts and at his side was a large axe, he also had orange-red hair.

"She is the least of our worries." A woman in a blue dress spoke coldly at the man across to her.

"She is right, Maleficent is only one of the forces that threatens to tear apart the stream of the universe. There are other big problems we now face." The voice was powerful and soothing at the same time. It sounded like it would come from a leader, a warrior and yet it came from the body of a young child.

"You refer to the white witch?" Another voice spoke out in the darkness, it was calm and calculating. It came from a man dressed in black armor carrying a large sword with the symbol of a white horse engraved on it.

"There are too many blasted people in this! For all we know W-" A skeletal hand shot out in the dark and quickly prevented sound from coming out of the man in red's mouth. The hand belonged to a figure dressed entirely in black robes standing next to him and leaning on a scythe. The figure didn't say anything everyone around the table knew what he meant.

"You should know better than even dare utter His name!" Another woman dressed entirely in white scolded.

"Well, thinking never has been his strong suit." A man dressed in purple with a long grey beard and a pointy hat chuckled nervously. The rest of the Keepers nodded solemnly.

"Aw shut up!" The man said angrily but a slight blush could be seen on his face.

"Clouded the future is, dark side surrounds us it does, consuming the light it is." A man with green skin roughly two to three feet tall dressed in brown robes interrupted.

"Unfortunately he is correct." Out of the shadows walked a brilliant man clad all in gold a crown on his head and a large A on the front and back of his robes. The man was the leader of the assembled people before him.

"So they've finally breached the wall?" The man dressed in armor asked.

"Broken through have they, destroyed the wall is." The short green-skinned man said solemnly. He tapped his small cane on the table.

"Just want we need! Another enemy!" The red-haired man growled.

"Enemy or ally. We do not know." The child said softly.

"Indeed. Tumahab is right. We do not yet know who our allies or our enemies are. We can do nothing except for watch."

"It's all we ever do anyway." The old man in purple said cheerfully to his seatmate. The woman in blue glared at him coldly. "Care for a l-"

"Enough! We do not have time for this bickering. Sora will soon start his next journey, and it should prove to be his most challenging yet. This time he will not be alone however it is time for the other two to come into the knowledge and face the test. All who agree say I."

"I." All the members except for one said, the other though raised his scythe in the air in agreement.

"It is decided. We test all three of them. Who volunteers?" Two hands and a scythe rose in the air. "Very well. You have your missions so get to it." The man in gold said before turning around and stepping through a white portal. The rest of the Keepers soon disappeared in their own portals.

………………

It had been a year since the events that occurred because of Organization XIII, and Sora couldn't have been happier. He was finally back on the islands, had found Riku and Kairi and had got caught back up in school, unfortunately he was about to be thrown another curveball.

On a small tropical islet in Destiny Islands, two boys both in their mid-teens stood on a small platform on the islet in which a large fruit tree grew. The base of the tree grew vertically, but gradually it had begun growing horizontally and eventually vertical once more. The fruits on the tree were in the shape of stars and had yellow skin.

The younger of the two boys had spiky brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a a black jacket with gold and red bands around the seems, black shorts with red pouches also covered by gold bands, big yellow shoes, and a silver chain necklace with a crown-shaped pendant. If one looked into the boy's eyes they would see experience far beyond that of a normal teen. His eyes held both pain and joy, showing of things that once were. He had the spark of a master swordsman and the eyes also showed amazing adventures full of laughter and new friendships. He was the Keyblade's chosen one, Sora.

Sora's best friend stood beside him. This boy had long silver hair that spiked towards the middle of his back and sharp turquoise eyes that held in them a dark past full of betrayal and redemption for his wrong doings. He wore a white and yellow vest over a black shirt that showed a bit of his abdominal muscles and navy blue pants. This boy was Riku, the Keeper's choice for the Keyblade, but the Keyblade had a mind of its own and chose Sora.

"Nothing's changed, huh?" Riku asked his friend.

"Nope. Nothing will." Sora answered gazing out at the sea. He looked at the sky and saw a shooting star, he grinned.

"What a small world."

"But part of one that's much bigger."

"Yeah."

Sora pauses a confused look on his face. "Hey Riku… What do you think it was…the door to the light?" Riku turns to look at him and points to his heart.

"This."

"This?" Sora asks hesitantly "My heart?"

"Yeah. It's always closer than you think." Sora looks a bit confused before grinning knowingly at him.

"Sora! Riku!" A young female voice yells out at them, they turn their heads slightly to see a girl running out of a shack. She stopped to catch her breath when she reached the boys. She had a velvety red hair and beautiful indigo eyes. She wore a short pink dress that zipped up like a vest over a white tank top. A small notebook was strapped to the left side of her dress. Around her neck was a necklace with a moonstone pendant on it. She had been Sora and Riku's friend since they could remember. She also happened to be a Princess of the Heart.

"Hey Kairi! What's up?" Sora greeted before jumping right into the question.

"What's up?" Riku repeated at Sora shaking his head.

"Look." Kairi panted and showed them a glass bottle with a piece of paper within. Sora peered at it closely and noticed a seal on it. It was green and seemed like three circle in an upside down pyramid formation. It took him a moment but then he realized what it was.

"From the King?" Sora asks grabbing the bottle from her and dumping the letter out into his hand. He unfolded it and started to read, Riku and Kairi looked over his shoulders. The letter read…

_Sora, Riku, Kairi;_

_How've you been? Just wrote to warn you, within the last year their have been some major political overthrows. Don't be surprised if the next time you visit Radiant Garden that there are soldiers in white armor, they are the new police force for the galaxy. It would also do well not to get on the bad side of this new Empire. They do not have a Keyblade and yet are able to travel across worlds just as easily. Do Not get on their bad side, the Empire is nowhere near the power of Organization XIII it is much more than the Organization could ever hope to be._

_Speaking of the Organization it seems the entire Organization was not destroyed it is believed that at least one member succeeded in escaping its destruction., so be on your guard they may want revenge._

_Maleficent has been relatively quiet and it is assumed her and Pete did not manage to escape the flood of Heartless in the World-that-Never-was. The Heartless have also become fewer and very rarely attack in large numbers. It is one of the few good things that has happened within a year._

_Now to more pleasant business we at Disney Castle would like to invite you to a one year reunion. Someone will come by to pick you up on the seventh, we can not get clearance for the Empire until then. To make sure they are not attempting kidnap, murder, or some other dastardly deed, they will be accompanied by an imperial figure dressed in black armor who breathes through a mechanical device. Do NOT insult this man. _

_Sorry this letter couldn't have been more cheerful, but hope to see you soon._

_M.M._

"Damn!" Riku said growling angrily. "I thought we got all of them!"

"At least the heartless attacks seemed to have lessened." Kairi said helpfully.

"That also has me worried." Riku said growling slightly.

"And the Organization." Sora moaned. "This is just what we needed…"

"It will be good to see the King again though." Riku said.

"Donald and Goofy too." Sora said laughing. "I wonder what they've been up to?"

"Hey, guys. Doesn't anyone else realize what this letter means?" Kairi asked softly.

"No, what?" Sora asked confused. Realization dawned on Riku's face.

"Sora what's the date today?" Riku asked quickly.

"Why? What does that have to do with anything?" Sora asked still confused. He looked at Kairi and Riku and saw their eyes wide it was almost comical. "Hah look at your faces!" Sora said laughing suddenly he heard a footfall behind him and spun around Keyblade at ready.

There standing in front of him was a man in black armor, a black cape around his shoulders, a loud mechanical breathing sounded and he looked into a dark mask. The man wore black gloves, black boots, black everything at his belt was a small cylindrical object. Behind him were six soldiers in white armor.

"Sora I presume, if the large key is any indicator." The mechanical rasping voice of the man in front of him paralyzed Sora in fear. The man noticing this showed no expression although behind the mask he was smirking. "And you must be the other two. The boy Riku who has embraced both the light and the dark, and the girl Kairi the third Keyblade wielder."

"What's it to you." Sora shot out angrily, the white armored troopers raised their guns at him. The man in black raised a hand and they lowered them.

"You are to come with me immediately, take the others and meet back at the ship." The man in black told the troopers. They saluted and at gunpoint marched Riku and Kairi back to the island. The armored man raised a gloved hand at the boy.

"Who are you? What are you going to do with them? If you hurt them I swear I'll-" Sora cut off trying to gasp for breath, his air supply being slowly cut off. Struggling for breath he managed to summon the Keyblade and his breathing returned to normal.

"So it is true." The man replied in monotone ignoring the gasping child's frantic gulps of air. "You may be a wielder of the Keyblade but you are insignificant to the powers of the Force." The man replied simply Sora glared at him angrily.

"What kind of magic is that?" Sora asked angrily.

"That was the power of the Force. I am called Darth Vader, _you_ may call me Lord Vader. Now come, we are late enough as it is." Lord Vader said walking off in the direction of his shuttle, if the boy did not follow he would leave him. He had no time for stubbornness.

"Wait who are you?" Sora asked Vader.

"Lord Vader. Now enough, so help me I would love to leave you here boy. Now come!" Darth Vader said and Sora felt a strange feeling in his head and suddenly had an urge to drop everything and leave with the man, he gripped the Keyblade tighter and the feeling disappeared. Sora decided to reword his question.

"What are you here for?" Sora asked and when the man turned around scrutinized him he flinched back.

"I am your escort to Disney Castle. I normally would not find myself in duties so undermining, however considering who you are I had no choice. The King and my Master have made an alliance and this excursion is part of the agreement to seal the deal. I also wanted to meet the esteemed Keyblade Master, but I see that was a foolish notion." Vader said continuing to walk and leaving a fuming Sora behind who had to hurry to catch up.

A/N: Yep a major villain has already appeared although he is not trying to be bad at the moment. Next chapter we will see what has happened with Maleficent's former group and possibly what's happening with the Organization as well. Hope you liked it.


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

The Castle in the World-that-Never-was had gone through a huge makeover since Organization XIII had once resided in it. No longer were the walls white and gray, although this may have been caused by having the heartless paint the walls. The Heartless had painted most of the Castle a deep putrid green, black, and yellow. The only room that had remained untouched was the Proof of Existence and that was only because it had locked everyone out.

Despite contrary belief that the Castle was run by Maleficent and Pete, the heartless were not controlled by them. The area where Kingdom Hearts was penetrated had given birth to a new type of heartless, a heartless that like Nobodies could think and plan. Of these new breed of heartless seven among them rose beyond the form of regular heartless. Now in humanoid form these were the leaders of the sentient heartless.

Where Organization once held their meetings in the white room, the room was now a mix of yellow and black, it seemed as if two groups of heartless had a disagreement over the color and in the fight that ensued splattered the paint all over. There were now only seven chairs instead of the thirteen the former Organization had.

The heartless were each dressed in their own unique fashion. Two were dressed in putrid green cloaks, one in black and the rest in dark red. The one in black was the leader while the two in green were second in command, the rest were all equal in status.

"Far too long have we withheld our strength from this world. The last year we've been preparing and arming are troops soon we will unleash an onslaught of heartless across the galaxy." The heartless in the black cloak said confidently. "The Keyblade Master knows nothing of us, so we will wait until the opportune moment and then strike."

"And when will that opportunity be. I myself have waited for revenge against that Keyblade brat since our first meeting!" One of the heartless in a dark red cloak hissed angrily. "I am only participating in this manner if I get revenge."

"That is quite enough DS." The voice of a confident male came from one of the heartless in the green cloak.

"Ah, but of course you are the leader's petsss." Another red cloaked figure said. This figure had two bat-like wings.

"Enough Sushin." A female voice came from the second heartless in a green claok.

"Of course princesss." The heartless named Sushin bowed deeply. The heartless just stood there and if the eyes could have been seen, they would have seen a flash of red and seen the mouth curl upwards into a sneer.

"Enough I will not have you make a mockery of this meeting. Sushin either shape up or leave." The leader said and none could displace the venom in the voice. Everyone also knew what the leader meant by leave. You were either in or out, and if you were out you would never be able to make 'in' ever again. "Mesna how goes your research?"

"If I have calculated correctly, which I have." The other heartless rolled their eyes. "Then once you get me blood of the chosen target, I can have the first Hunter Heartless available in little under a month. Although I would recommend waiting a bit longer as I am still working on figuring out a way to make it controllable once the target is known. The first test I did failed spectacularly, thankfully we had Reno here to kill it, the second had better results, but the third was by far the best. Just give me a little more time and the blood and I can have it to you before you put your plans in motion."

"I thought you said that this Heartless would be able to destroy Sora? If Reno was able to kill it so easily why should we continue to allow you to do these pathetic experiments?"

"No, no. You have it all wrong. The reason Reno was able to kill it so easily was because I planted a self-destruct mechanism for the said Heartless in each of us, this is incase it slips from our control. Trust me when I say, Sora would have a terribly hard time at attempting to kill one, let alone the six I have in the works." Mesna said confidently dispelling the doubts on the faces of the other heartless.

"He tells the truth boss man. It totally tore apart the test heartless like they were nothing." The last heartless in red, the one named Reno said.

"Very well. I will allow your research to continue."

"Oh, thank you master, thank you." Mesna said kissing the hem of the leader's robes.

"Quit that you sniveling fool, I have no need for servants, I want allies. Servants are merely tools while allies are powerful weapons that can actually think for themselves and know when to adapt to make something better."

"Of course, I am sorry." Mesna said bowing and scrambling back to his place.

"Do not fret Mesna, you shall have your blood that is needed. Sushin." The black cloaked heartless said, the fat bat-winged heartless snapped to attention.

"Yes, sire. You wish something of me?" The heartless Sushin said while absently slipping a hand in his robes pockets and taking out little raw shrimp. He put one in his mouth and began to chew, he was one of the few heartless who ate normal food.

"Stop eating, and listen." Sushin immediately stopped chewing and swallowed, the leader already did not like him, he did not have to make it worse. The voice in his head saying to kill the fools in front of him did not help either. "You are to go find Sora and draw blood from him, if you can get blood from anyone else there do so, report back once your mission is completed.

"Of course, sire." Sushin said before shrinking into shadows and disappearing into the floor, the rest of the heartless followed shortly after, until only the leader and Reno were left in the room.

"Follow him." was all that was hissed and with a nod Reno slipped into the shadows.

……………

As said before Maleficent never received her precious castle, but they did escape. While hundreds of heartless had been coming at them, they slowly began to become smarter, and it was only a short bit after before they quit attacking mindlessly and sat back and waited; slowly surrounding Maleficent and Pete in a circle of heartless. Maleficent's magic had been disabled by an unknown device and it did not look like they were intent on letting them escape anytime soon.

Ironically it was Pete's son who saved them.

"Hey, Dad?" The voice was entirely devoid of evil intent. Stepping through the hundreds of heartless, being careful to say excuse me, and sorry to each and every one, he eventually reached them.

"PJ, what are you doing here?" Pete asked.

"Yes, minion, what is your son doing here? You know how I despise his presence, although we may be able to use this to our advantage…" Maleficent said thoughtfully.

"Well I did what you told me, I found Captain Hook up a tree with a friendly crocodile cheerfully grinning up at him. Why he was in the tree I don't know. Unfortunately the tree snapped and he fell in the water, the crocodile saved him." PJ said, obviously clueless as to the true intent of the crocodile. "I told him about your little get together and he all but jumped at the chance to see you again."

"Hook? He's alive? So _Sora _did not kill him. Interesting. Continue boy." Maleficent said as kindly as she could manage, it was taking all her will power not to strangle the boy. He was the epitome of good trying to be evil. Even Hades hadn't been able to manage any evil out of the boy, he even thought Cerberus was cute!

"Yeah, I took him to that Garden place and the patched him right up, even gave him his own room complete with stone walls and steel bars. Mr. Crocodile hitched a ride as well, that gummi-ship you built me Dad is really cool, has all sorts of gizmos. Mr. Crocodile though fell off somewhere in route to the Garden. Once there, they had a bunch of officers surround the Captain and escorted him to a secure location. They then paid me a 20,000 munny! They must have been pleased with me." Pete's son said. PJ looked a bit like his dad, only less rotund, and more cheerful.

Maleficent turned and glared at Pete, who cowered fearfully. Among the members of Maleficent's first Organization, in which all had fallen to Sora except for herself and Pete, her due to the fact she was revived and Pete because he was smart (or lucky) enough not to run into the Keyblade brat. Captain Hook had been in the original group and had disappeared thought to have been killed by Sora. When Maleficent returned for the second time, the only two willing to help were Pete and Hades. But Hades ended up having bigger fish to fry and using Sora and the heartless to his own means, eventually succumbing a second time the brat.

Thus it was Maleficent sent Pete's annoying son to look for the missing members, Jafar had been turned into a genie and trapped in a lamp, later they discovered the said all powerful and immortal genie had been defeated by Sora. That scratched one ally off the list. Ursula was another that had been in the original group, however before contact could be remade she went off and got herself killed, rumor had it she had a sister though who might possibly join. It was worth looking into if they ever escaped the heartless.

Oogie Boogie had been another ally, but when Maleficent revived him after his first defeat at the hands of Sora and Jack Skellington, he had totally forgotten everything except for exacting revenge of Jack. He didn't even remember why he had to until Maleficent told him. He went his own way and worked on his own plans to extract revenge insulting Maleficent dearly. She left him to be defeated by Sora once again.

To say Maleficent and Pete were surprised that PJ had been able to find an alive Captain Hook would be an understatement, to see that he had turned him in to the Radiant Garden special forces was not. Hook being one of the most wanted men in the galaxy was in jail, and if Maleficent knew him well enough was probably enjoying it far too much. He could be one of the meanest bullies in the galaxy, but when it came to the Crocodile he was worse than a kid afraid of the dark.

"Uh, son?" Pete began PJ turned to look at him with big cheery eyes, Maleficent once again glared, but he ignored it. PJ was looking at his dad waiting for praise. "Good job finding Captain Hook, but how in the world did you get here?" Maleficent stopped her glaring and turned around to look at PJ, Pete had actually asked a good question.

"Well, I have Uncle Hades to thank for that." PJ said proudly. Maleficent and Pete looked at one another mouthing the words 'Uncle?'

"Hades is here? Where is he?" Maleficent demanded glowering at the teen.

"Uh, I believe he's waiting outside, he sent me in to scout the area."

"Hades that big coward! Sending my son in here when he could very well be attacked by the heartless. I'll-"

"You'll do what blubber-boy?" A poof of black smoke and a man in a black toga with flaming blue hair and grotesque face appeared before him. "So you're here, what do you say we get going and have a party-" Hades cut off seeing himself surrounded by hundreds of heartless. "Or not… See ya." Hades said attempting to exit courtesy of the black smoke.

Maleficent, Pete, PJ, and a still there Hades began coughing at the smoke. Hades looked around wildly and turned to look at his glaring allies.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, how was I supposed to know this would happen?" Hades replied smoothing down his hair/flame. He turned to glare at a small neo-shadow. "Great now I'm stuck here too. These guys don't look too friendly. What you do to upset them?"

"Aw, isn't it cute?" PJ said holding a desperately squirming shadow in his arms, the rest of the assembled just looked at him. Amazed that he was not being attacked and that it seemed as if the heartless were more afraid of him. If any could hear the conversation among the heartless they would have realized the heartless were scared stiff, and that at least a few had mumbled something about seeing a psychologist when it was over.

"Fools! This is pathetic, we are not some simple-minded fools, we will get out of this mess. We attack on three."

"Uh, um. Maleficent are you sure that's a good idea?" Pete asked cautiously, he flinched as she turned around and glared at him.

"The Dark Lady has lost it. Completely lost, what remained of her sanity has left the building!" Hades whispered to Pete who grinned.

"Do you find something particularly funny?" Maleficent seethed.

"Err um, no." Pete said dutifully.

"Excuse me, Miss Magnificent?"

"It's Maleficent!" Three voices shouted at the teen.

"Oh, right. I was just wondering when we will be going?" Seeing their looks PJ quickly added, "I mean just standing here is loads of fun and all, but I sort of had plans with the nice people at the Garden. Biggs and Wedge were going to show me how they make the armor and accessories."

"You know, this kid had absolutely no evil in him." Hades said and Maleficent nodded in agreement glaring at Pete.

"It's not my fault! He just hasn't grown into his evilness yet, that's all!" Pete said with a whine.

"As for your question boy, we would be leaving as soon as we can escape these heartless!" Maleficent raged furious at her own inability to even do the smallest amount of damage.

"Oh, that's right, 'tech-guy' at your castle told me to let you know about the devices he gave you before you left, he said they would be useful for getting out of danger in a hurry. They are electronic and despite putting a lock on all magic it can get you out of any dangerous situation in a snap."

The 'tech-guy' was another of Maleficent's first group, never having fought directly with Sora, he had been the mastermind behind the larger heartless Sora had fought. He was a bit insane and always was dressed in a black costume with a large S in white on the front and a rather ridiculous cape. Very few people knew his name, or if they did they would forget about it immediately. PJ just called him tech-guy and the other few visitors took to calling him that as well, which 'tech-guy' would fume about.

Maleficent tried her best to suppress her rage, it was that damn genius's fault she had her magic suppressed, the moment she got her magic back, she was going to seek revenge on one of her own.

"Why did you not tell us about this before, and for that matter why didn't _he_!" Maleficent screeched at PJ, who backed away, and almost squeezing the life out of the heartless in his hand, said heartless was really wishing it was somewhere, anywhere else.

"He said he had just discovered that little flaw in the design, he also added you did not care to ask."

"Well this device doesn't even work!" Pete said stomping on it soon all four(five counting the little shadow heartless) disappeared in a flash of light.

……………

Almost a year later

After the embarrassing occurrence at the Castle in the World-that-Never-was, which now belonged to the heartless, Maleficent returned to her own living place in Radiant Garden. Just thinking about the name threw her into a fit of fury. They had been quiet for the last year, ever since the Empire arrived.

The Empire was an unaccounted problem that had occurred in Maleficent's new plan. She could no longer attempt to take over Radiant Garden for that would be like making war with the new government, and she had seen that it was a very well 'armed' government.

Therefore she now needed Kingdom Hearts more desperately than ever, she could never contend to take the universe as her own with them around, and not surprisingly there were others who believed this as well. She had a formed a new group, a bigger and much better group.

Or at least she hoped she would, today was the day that the possible new members arrived and unless she could give them what they wished, she would have a problem. Fortunately most had already learned of the existence of Kingdom Hearts and were interested in hearing what was going to be said.

Captain Hook was still behind bars and she had not been able to make contact with either Ursula's sister nor Jafar. She had contemplated long and hard about reviving Oogie Boogie, but had decided that he was not worth the effort nor the frustration that would follow.

"Maleficent! They're here!" Pete yelled out.

"Then what are you standing around for, let them in!" Maleficent responded angrily, good help was so hard to find these days. At least nothing would happen that would cause problems, she had taken care that PJ was as far from _this_ meeting as possible. She had even contemplated about calling her hated sister to take care of the nuisance. Of the two of them she had been the only one able to maintain control of a world, they weren't on speaking terms. In fact if anyone mentioned said name near her she would go dragon on the unfortunate soul.

Maleficent watched as the possible members of her new group shuffled into the room, she recognized a few wanted faces. A few of them though made her question why she had asked them to come.

Situated around a very large circular table sat some of the most sly and dangerous men and women to ever exist(not all were living). There were eight people(nine counting the 'dog') besides Maleficent, Pete, and Hades that had showed up to hear what was to be said.

Sitting on her left side was Hades, calm and collected as usual, which is ironic considering his hair is made of fire. Sitting on her right side, grumbling in annoyance at the person sitting on his left, was Pete.

Next to him was a giant bipedal whale-like creature. The whale was bluish gray and wore a black outfit which had two red lines on either side of the pants. His eyes were blue and both when standing as well as sitting, was easily the tallest person in the room. Once a Captain for the Galactic Alliance now no more than a pity henchman for an evil scientist. A scientist who was currently unavailable and sent him instead. He grumbled and managed to hit Pete trying to get a fly that was bothering him.

On the table in front of the large man was a strange creature. It had a dark yellow outer body and when rolled over had a light yellow skin tone. It looked like a dog that had been ruthlessly run over, possibly more than once. Considering the owner of the 'dog's' size no one said anything. Most of the villains though watched with interest as it jumped down, raided Maleficent's fridge and began making itself a sandwich. Once done, it walked back over to the table climbed up the chair and sandwich in hand began to eat.

Next to the large whale-man and his 'dog' was a large man wearing armor, a red cape, and a skull like masked helmet with the antlers of a stag. The man, (if it truly was a man under the armor and masked helmet), looked around the room bored. The man glared at the figure opposite to him, before turning his attention back on Maleficent.

Next to him sat one of the few females of the group, and like the whale-man was only there as an envoy for her master. She was a tall woman with sleek black hair, a thin mouth, heavy lidded eyes, pale skin, and was overall rather good looking. Both exotic and dangerous she sat at the table torturing a small fox completely oblivious to some of the eyes on her. She was dressed in dark black robes with a hood up and wore a mask that looked like half a skull. The man on her left watched her eyes full of adoration and she smiled seductively at him and winked.

The man was tall but not abnormally so. His race was unknown although it closely resembled that of human, the only thing saying otherwise was that his skin was a brownish-putrid green coloring. The clothing the man wore was both casual brown leather, with black shoulder and knee armor, and white cloth around his neck and legs with a strange design engraved on the cloth. The man also wore two large brown gloves and boots and a sheath with a large sword was attached to his belt. He had orange hair, and a pointed nose and ears that made him resemble that of an elf.

Sitting on Hades right was a man who didn't really understand why he was there in the first place. Unlike most of them that were there this man was dressed rather normally. He looked more like a business man than anything, and a small insignia on his suit had the letters I and then N, followed by Gen. He carefully washed his glasses on the cloth of the table and looked around at the sorts surrounding him. He would be the first to agree they looked like the kind of folk who had plans for world domination. He himself had been written to by a woman named Maleficent who had somehow found out about his secrets. He was offered more money than anyone could ever have a need for, as well as help in becoming ruler of his planet. He had originally thought it as a joke and went just for the heck of it. He never expected to be sent to a totally different planet. The man who had thought the whole thing was a joke was a top businessman and owner of a company of scientific research. He had plans to do much more than mere research however and now that he was here, he looked forward to see what was to be offered.

Next to him was a rather old man with a white hair and a long white beard. The man was tall although his face was long and his eyes deep and dark. He was hooded and wore a white cloak that changed to many different colors as he moved. In his gnarled right hand was a large black staff with a pale white gem enclosed at the top. He appeared to be talking rather animatedly to the person next to him, and vice versa.

The other man was much younger than who he was speaking to, but in the end it didn't really matter. The two were having a discussion on life and what the purpose of it was. Like the man he was speaking to he was not exactly human. The man had unnatural spiky blue hair which had two end curving upwards like horns before coming to a point and jetting downwards. He was dressed in black and green robes that went a little past his waist and then wore a red wrapping around part the rest of him leaving his chest exposed. The woman next to him entered the conversation the two were having shortly after overhearing it.

The final member of the group was another female. She was medium-sized height wise and rather skinny, allowing her to fit quite comfortably in the purple(nearly black) dress that covered her entire body except for around her chest area which showed off a little cleavage. She also wore a gold headdress which jutted out in a few different directions and was responsible for the purple-silver cape that was dragged behind her.

Maleficent finished looking at the assembled. Not all were what she had hoped, and she was disappointed that a few others she had asked had not come, but she would make do with what she had. The heartless were becoming harder and harder to control, she would have to make some of her own. The time would soon come when the universe would once again fear the name Maleficent highest among all others. She desperately fought off an urge to laugh manically before turning to address the group, it looked to be the beginnings of a rather long night.

……………

"Do you have it?" A cold voice said in the darkness, it sounded scrambled and one could not tell if it was male or female. "I assume for one of your status that it was child's play?"

"Yeah, sure was. Yes I have it." Another voice laughed tossing a disc in the air and catching it.

"Careful!" The other voice spoke, and stepped out of the shadows snatching it from the other figure in red. The voice belonged to someone in a black hooded cloak, the face not entirely visible.

"Why'd you want this anyway?" The figure in red robes similar in design to the other's asked curiously. Both figures had their hoods up and the face was not seeable. The disc was grabbed out of the figure's hands.

"This disc is key to part one of my plans. By chance how is it that you managed to get into the Proof of Existence? I heard that it had been locked?" The black-cloaked figure peered questioningly at the other.

"That's for me to know and you to wonder. Besides they aren't exactly the brightest. Didn't even check any of the members to see if they were actually heartless. It was as you said child's play." The figure laughed good naturally.

"As it should have been. By all accounts most of them are only a year old. Here's your payment." A bag full of munny was thrown at the red cloaked figure and was caught with ease.

"200,000. Yep, looks correct to me. Besides I trust you."

"Do you really?" The voice sounded curious.

"Hell no." The figure paused before asking another question. "By the way, why would you need all this info on Organization XIII anyways?"

"As you said, that's for me to know and you to wonder. It is not just the information I need."

"Whatever you say. Anything else or can I go now?"

"You may go. Just tell your boss that I may have another _well-paying _job for him. Much better than this, he knows how to get in contact with me if he is interested."

"Right. Well see ya." The red-cloaked figure summoned up a dark portal and disappeared. The black-cloaked man watched before speaking to the surrounding shadows.

"He's gone. You can come out." Another slightly larger figure stepped out of the darkness.

"Do you think he knows what we're planning?" The voice was soft and yet powerful, it seemed to be louder than it actually was.

"Probably."

"You are not worried?"

"No. People like them, and who they work for, care little about the business of their employers. We need not worry."

"But they do care."

"Perhaps."

"Yet you see no reason to eliminate this possible threat?"

"I see no reason to eliminate this threat as it has yet to grow into a threat. If we were to attempt what you are saying then we would make them into a threat, until then they are still useful to us. As long as they are useful, we can benefit. Besides after the past year it will be good to see all are work come to fruition."

"I understand. You don't want anyone finding out before the right time."

"Now you begin to see. Don't worry old friend, we will have our revenge yet."

"Are you absolutely sure we should?"

"Should what?"

"Do what we're planning?"

"Yes. I have no doubts. As I've said before, revenge or not we would be doing this. It was nice of Even to leave his notes where we could find them."

"Yes, curious though isn't it?"

"You mean how he planned for this?"

"Yes."

"Even always was the most cautious. It does not surprise me that he had created a contingency plan."

"How much longer will it be?"

"Not much longer, we will see if we get a call. I would say no more than a week tops after they bring us what we need. Although they are the best in the business they could have problems, it won't be easy. But do not worry. We must wait only a little longer. Then my friend, we can finish what we originally set out to do."

A/N: There. A bit longer than I was going to make it, but decided it was worth it. Also surprised to see it go up so quickly, once I go back to school updates will probably take longer. Heartless and Nobodies are not going to be the only groups that will be faced as will be seen in later chapters. Thanks for reviewing.


	3. Chapter 2

-1_Chapter 2_

Sora was puzzled at the new series of events that were occurring in front of him. The man in front of him, all in black did not look like the kind of man the King would align himself with. Something extremely big must have happened within the last year to cause this.

If the letter was right this man, Vader, was one of this new Empire's top officials, and the King had said not to anger and to trust him. How could he trust someone who led his friends by gunpoint!

He had stayed quiet after Vader had reprimanded him, he was not someone he would want to mess with anytime in the near future. This force magic was unlike any he had ever seen before, it could choke him just at the thought of the user. He glanced at Vader and saw him raise an arm to a fallen tree in middle of the pathway. He was astonished to see the tree begin to float in the air and be tossed to the side.

Yet again he was going off world, at least his mom wouldn't worry as much, after all it wasn't like he'd be gone again for that long. It was just going to be a simple visit to see the King. That was all. He wouldn't be swept into another adventure. So what if an Organization member still lived, they didn't need him to get rid of the threat, this new Empire could do that. He was just going to meet some friends.

"…Why do I have a bad feeling then?" Sora mumbled out loud. Vader spun around and looked at him.

"What was that?" Vader peered at him, almost searchingly, like he was peering through his mind. But the force didn't allow him to read minds, did it? "I asked a question, I would wish you to answer when I speak."

"Err-it's nothing. Just talking out loud." Sora replied cheerfully gazing anywhere but at Vader. Anyone could see it was false cheer.

"Look at the person you are speaking to next time." Vader responded before continuing to walk off. Sora thought that was it, but what Vader said next surprised him. "Don't discount your feelings, boy."

Sora was more puzzled than ever, as they continued to walk deeper into the mainland, they had crossed over earlier and were now walking in the direction where the shooting star had fallen. 'That's it! It wasn't a shooting star it was their transport.' Sora was about to let a whoop of joy, for figuring it out when Vader stopped to a halt in front of him.

"TK-44. How are the…guests, fairing?" Vader spoke into a small square device. He had no idea who or what a TK-44 was, but Sora thought the name was odd. Why was it TK-44, what did it symbolize?

"Lord Vader, the guests are currently under guard and not happy about it. Do you wish for me to let down the cloak sir?"

"About how many more people will be able to fit inside my transport? I do believe it will be more than just the Keyblade Master and I." Vader said and Sora looked at him oddly. His wheezing was beginning to get on his nerves, and what did he mean more? It was only him and Vader!

"I believe, sir, counting you and the objective, there would be room for three other individuals. If you may not mind me asking sir, why?"

"Because I will have to make sure our notice here goes undetected, we were fortunate not to run into any locals. Prepare to let down the cloak, we will be there shortly." Vader responded before clicking the device off and turning to Sora.

"W-what?" Sora asked nervously, the mask made Vader look intimidating no matter what he was doing, he would hate to fight him, especially knowing that he would lose if he did.

"Tell me. How many people have a habit of visiting the island I collected you on?" Sora looked at him confused for a moment before realizing what he was asking.

"Only Riku, Kairi, and I." Sora said.

"Are you sure? No one else?" Vader seemed to be getting impatient.

"Well there is also Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka, but they don't go out to the island as much as they use to."

"Thank you, that is what I needed." Vader said before turning around and raising a gloved hand at a tree and completely uprooting it, and thus the three hiding behind the tree were seen. "If you value your lives you will tell me what exactly you are doing and plan to do. You lie…" Vader took the small cylinder from his belt and held it out, a large vibrating red beam now shown. "Let's say your option is limited."

"We were just…" Tidus trailed off at a loss. He didn't know who this man was, but he was dangerous, he didn't know what the red sword did either, but was welling to bet all the munny he had that it wasn't good..

"Cutting the grass by the tree you uprooted, you know how it is, too much grass no more tree!" Selphie said quickly, it was so obvious a lie that Tidus and Wakka groaned in embarrassment and cast their eyes worriedly to the sword.

Vader stared at her long and hard before surprising Sora, and swinging the saber in Selphie's direction it missed her by a hair and managed to cut the tree she was leaning against in half. Everyone stared at him in astonishment and Selphie yipped in fear. Vader in his raspy mechanical voice spoke coldly to her.

"I was making sure the tree's stump would not have competition." It wasn't a joke, anyone could tell it was a threat, and a dire one at that. "You three are lucky. I would normally have two options. Kill you and be rid of you, or allow you to go home."

"That's fine. We'll just be going, ya?" Wakka said cautiously.

"Let's just say I'm more fond of the second option." Vader continued ignoring Wakka who gulped audibly. "I cannot allow you to return home, I can't take the risk of one of you telling of us, and since I do not want to do anything that could possibly anger the alliance my Master has made, you will have to accept the third option."

"Which is what?" Tidus said loudly, Sora winced at the volume, apparently Vader could tell how loud it was because he growled in annoyance(or the closest to a growl he could).

"That is to come with us. You will never return home to this planet and shall be enlisted into the service of the Galactic Empire. This is non-negotiable, you're lucky or I would have vied for the second option. Quickly erasing Sora's memory of this incident entirely. If you refuse then that is what you will receive. Agreed?"

"…Yes." Wakka, Selphie, and Tidus said as one.

"That is fortunate, TK-44 will be pleased to have some troops his own age to train and deal with. Once we board the ship you are to stay with TK-44 and never leave his sight, you do so and it could spell your death. I will explain things to my soldiers once we board." Vader finished speaking and continued trudging into the jungle four instead of one in tow.

……………

A man with a drunken stagger, waved his hands in front of him, as if seeing if that will help him see better. A sparrow tattoo on his right forearm was seen clearly even though it was soon to be turning to night.

The man had in his possession a tricorne, a pistol, a sword, and a raggedy old coat-like clothing. He stumbled slightly and almost ran into the large man in front of him, he clumsily went to a table and sat down, the noise of the many jolly merrymakings being heard in the background.

He looked at the three in front of him, it was an unusual sight. A boy roughly fourteen years of age dressed in an odd and very fancy suit, unlike any he had ever seen, with black hair and deep blue eyes. The boy seeing he was being watched turned and looked at him, a small smile slowly moving upwards. It was a vampire smile, cold and calculating, like he had plans for him, plans he wouldn't like.

Next to the boy stood a man no less than seven feet tall, huge rippling muscles and merciless eyes, making him resemble a very dangerous giant bear. He too was dressed well, but had about him an arsenal of weapons, even if one couldn't see it, it was obvious. He stood on the boy's left side.

On the boy's right was a man in a red cloak, the man allowed one sleeve to dangle, his left arm remained slung in his sleeve. At his side was a canteen, possibly filled with water or an alcoholic beverage. The man had a unshaven look similar to pirates and carried with him a large katana. His eyes were covered by black sunglasses, he remained silent and didn't talk, he just watched.

"So you all going to tell me what I'm doing here? Or do we just skip the formalities and get right into it. Which one of you gents is the one who called upon my services." He looked at the two men and ignored the kid, so was surprised when it was the young lad who answered him.

"In time, Captain, in time. We are merely waiting for the last of my associates to arrive. Then we can get to business. A very profitable arrangement." The boy said emotionless as he glanced at his watch. "He's always late…".

The door to the room suddenly burst open and a figure wearing goggles on his forehead, an unzipped suit jacket, and an untucked dress shirt came striding through the doors. This newcomer had unkempt red-hair terminating in a ponytail, had a lanky physique, and two symmetrical red marks on his cheeks that looked like scars or possibly a tattoo.

"Sorry I'm late." The red-haired man said.

"You're always late. Would it kill you to be on time once in your dull life?" The boy said exasperatedly. It was obvious the boy and red-haired man were complete opposites, how they could stand being in the same room one will never know.

"What and miss the action elsewhere? I'm just a simple laid-back humble man for hire. I can't help it if I'm a lazy man for hire." The man said with a cheeky grin.

"Yes, if I wasn't such a good acquaintance to your manager I assure you I'd be complaining. Rufus says you are the best and as much as I trust him, I find that hard to believe." The boy said skeptically and Reno childishly stuck his tongue out.

"Now can you tell me what the bloody hell I'm here for." The Captain's voice shouted out, and both an odd shaped gun and a large sword were pointed at him.

"If you want to walk away from this meeting, I suggest you keep quiet. Butler here can kill a man a hundred ways without the use of a weapon, and Auron here would be able to do the same. I will be with you in a moment Mr. Sparrow." The boy turned back to Reno.

"Did you give them my version?"

"Of course Arty." The boy scowled.

"Don't ever call me that again, or I guarantee associate or otherwise, you won't leave." The boy's voice had turned deadly in less than a second.

"Err. Right. Anyways, I did what you wished. But was that such a good idea? Giving that to these people."

"Of course, the disc they originally wanted was something I could not give them, there are many people who do not want that to return. You can burn the original."

"But, you still gave them what they needed? What sensibility is there in that?"

"What he does, he does for a reason, everything is part of his plan." The bear-man said almost proudly.

"Indeed it is. Just like you Mr. Sparrow, are part of my plan." The boy turned to the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl.

"It's Captain Jack Sparrow. Get it right mate. Now if you don't mind, I've sat here long enough without a drink of my fancy. Where's the rum?" The boy's face pulled into a frown.

"The rum has been disposed of properly, you can go back to that tasteless concoction after my task is completed."

"And your task would be what? I'm not sure you'd have enough money to pay for my services. What are you, a wee little lad of eight?" The boy scowled.

"It would serve you well to learn not to insult your future employers. Now Reno, I have a message for Rufus."

"Yeah? Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I want to exchange you."

"…what?"

"I would prefer another of your group."

"What's wrong with me?" The man Auron took out his sword as Reno came near the boy.

"Nothing. That is the problem. You are not apt to be able to do both your current jobs and this new one I need to assign. Don't worry, you will still get your full payment, but someone else is needed for this. Tell Rufus to send me the best man for hunting."

"Fine. Fine. I can see when I'm not wanted, my replacement will be here in a few." He looked around at the other four occupants before saying "See ya!" and summoning a dark portal and stepping through it.

"Hey, he ain't one of them Organization folk is he?" Jack said angrily. He had a bad experience with one of them.

"Of course not. All of the Turks are able to do that, it is a special ability taught to them all by the leader."

"Rufus?"

"No. He is the Boss of the Turks and the closest thing they have to a friend. No the leader is a man named Tseng. Currently there are only four Turks, but that is all they need. They truly are the best money can buy. It will be interesting to see what member Rufus decides to send."

"Now that that's out of the way. What do you need me for? And more importantly what's in it for me?"

"Simple enough question. Two things. The first being gold." As if to prove that he was not lying he signaled to the man named Butler who whipped off a cover on the chair beside him. A single block of pure gold laid there.

"You can't be serious? What type of fool would bring in a literal block of pure gold to Tortuga?"

"A very rich businessman, the two people who attempted to take it from us are currently lying somewhere on the bottom of the ocean floor. I am not offering to give you one bar for your services but four."

"That's it? I could get better treasure by pillaging and pilfering. Although I give it would take quite a bit longer. Knowing my luck, the treasure would probably be cursed. This isn't cursed is it?

"No, no curses. I've been looking into your background. It appears you have had some unfortunate incidents occurring recently, and any day now you should be receiving a visitor about time being up. That's why I'm here. To offer you a way out."

"Time being up? How much rum did you say you had?" The boy scowled in annoyance.

"I didn't. I do not drink rum, my preference is more in the line of Earl Gray. As for time being up, is it not true you have only six more days before Davey Jones takes your soul?"

"How'd you know that?" Jack asked flabbergasted, and worried. He had almost forgotten about the damn selling of his soul to get his beautiful ship back. Of course he was only captain of the Black Pearl for a few years before his crew committed mutiny. Now that's what one calls ironic.

"I know many things. I know that Davey Jones has made a deal with you and time's almost up, I know where his heart is located, I know everything. The only thing I don't have is the key."

"You know everything else? How?"

"Intellect. Nothing more, nothing less." The boy replied with a shrug.

"I know where the key is, but you'd have to be a eunuch to try to take it from Davey Jones."

"That's why I'm not. The key Jones possesses is not the only key to open the chest…" The boy trailed off hoping Jack would understand.

"Of course! Sora's Keyblade! Why didn't I think of that!"

"Because you are not Artemis Fowl the II."

"That would be you?"

"Indeed. That is my name, and are you now ready to listen to what we need you to accomplish. I guarantee even an unsophisticated mind such as your own would be able to grasp the concept easily enough.?"

"Aye. You make a good negotiator."

"I did not negotiate, I merely reinforced the value of how important getting a Keyblade is for your continued survival."

"Aye. But wait just one minute! What's in this for you?"

"The Keyblade of course." Artemis Fowl said indifferently.

"Let's say I do get this Keyblade for you, what's to keep me from keeping it for myself?"

"Fair enough question. Because I currently have the means to call up Davey Jones and tell him your debt is ready to be paid, or I could just say your after his heart. I'm sure that would get the point across. Besides I am not so uneducated to be foolish enough to let you go on your own. You will be going with Auron and whatever Turk comes back. Once you have the Keyblade in your possession bring it back here. Once I get it I can get you Jones heart, a fair trade. Captain Jack Sparrow; Ruler of the Sea, you won't have to worry about anyone ever again."

"You strike a hard bargain mate. Very well. We have an accord." As he said those words Artemis Fowl's face lifted up into a chilling smile, the type of smile a shark gives before it devours its prey.

……………

"Whoa!" Sora cried out upon seeing the space ship. Sora heard Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie do the same.

The four of them were currently in Vader's Imperial Lambda-class shuttle. Riku and Kairi had already been taken aboard what Vader called his own personal starship which he had christened the Executor. Sora had bitten back a comment when he heard the name.

The _Executor_ was a large arrowhead shaped starship easily the largest transport Sora had ever seen. It had a sleek smooth hull, with an island of habitable volume. Weapons emplacements bristled on the layered city-like surface. The trapezoidal command tower stood near the aft end of the island, capped with two geodesic communication and deflection domes. The underside was a busy network of engineering and superstructure. The _Executor _had thirteen colossal engines to help it travel across space.

"She truly is beautiful, isn't she. My pride and joy, the most powerful Star Destroyer ever made. Once we board you three," Vader said to Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. "Shall be introduced to my current Admiral and TK-44, where as you Keyblade Master shall be reunited with your companions." Vader said as the transport they were in began heading towards the larger ship slowly as if in a trance.

Ten minutes later Vader along with his two white armored guards walked slowly out of the transport, a hiss of steam erupted from the inside causing Sora, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie to quickly follow out behind trying not to anger the larger armored man. Needless to say they were stunned when they walked off.

Apparently Vader was like a King, and the hundreds of armored white troopers. What did Vader say they were called again? He hadn't really been paying attention at the time, but in the deep recessives of his mind Sora made the connection. Stormtroopers. Hundreds…maybe even thousands.

"Lord Vader." A man dressed in gray officer cloth, and the stormtrooper next to him said bowing low.

"Admiral Piett, I trust things have been well?" None except those who had been around Vader long enough noticed the veiled threat. Piett visibly gulped.

"Of course, Lord Vader, everything is perfectly fine. TK-44 said you wished to speak with us?" Piett was the admiral of the _Executor_ only because Vader had realized the previous admiral had not given good results, he got angry, and that was the end of the previous admiral. Being positioned an admiral was often a death sentence, Piett had been fortunate enough recently that nothing bad occurred, if something did however…

TK-44 the stormtrooper next to Admiral Piett resumed standing and seemed to look at the three following behind, his facial expression was unknown due to the helmet.

"Yes, Admiral I do. As you can see we picked up more than originally anticipated. These three will be under your command, only you and TK-44 will be above them aboard this ship." Vader paused and looked at the three astounded teens before turning back to them. "Despite how they may look or act, I have high hopes for them in the future, they will make wonderful additions to the Empire. They shall room with you TK-44, I'm sure you have no objections?"

Even if TK-44 did have objections he would not be stupid enough to say them aloud, it would be signing a death sentence. Stormtroopers were often considered fodder, but TK-44 had risen among the ranks in a little less than three years and had become the best sharpshooter the Empire had. TK-44 had also earned Vader's respect something that was hard to do.

"You three. Follow me." TK-44 said and ushered over two other troopers before walking away. The three Destiny Islanders were still in awe of the ship and the legion of soldiers, never actually seeing anything like it. TK-44 noticing they were not following raised his gun and took a potshot right over Selphie's head. "Follow, I will not say it again. You get lost and some troopers would shoot you on sight, besides I wouldn't want to hurt a pretty lady such as yourself."

Without exactly knowing why Selphie blushed and Tidus and Wakka looked at the trooper curiously. Shaking his head in annoyance TK-44 turned around and motioned with a hand signal for them to follow them. Reluctantly they followed.

Sora meanwhile was in a conversation with Vader and had missed the whole episode.

"So where are they? You promised I could see them!" Sora growled angrily while gripping his Keyblade to release his anger.

"Your companions are here. I will take you to them momentarily." Vader said heading over to a computer and rapidly typing something. On the screen popped up a message that said 'Warning Top Secret' A flurry of about seventy numbers and letters and a beep was heard saying "Password Accepted'. Before anything appeared on the screen Vader quickly turned off the monitor and turned to Sora.

"What is it? What do you want?" Sora asked quietly, for some reason fear was beginning to spread through him.

"What I am about to show you is classified as restricted, only a very few have ever seen what's within… Admiral Piett." Vader turned to the Admiral of the _Executor_. "I need you and to take the other troopers and leave the room."

If Admiral Piett thought it a strange request he said nothing, instead ushering out the few technicians, stormtroopers, and corporals. He took one last glance at Vader and his visitor, wondering what it was he was about to show him, before stepping out and locking the door behind him.

"Now that they are gone, we can discuss freely. Tell me Sora what happens when one is turned into a heartless?"

"When someone is turned into a heartless often a nobody is created at the same time. Heartless have a heart but one that has been corrupted or turned into darkness. Despite being called heartless they still have a heart just like Nobodies still have bodies." Vader nodded as if satisfied by Sora's explanation.

"That is true, but recently the Empire has discovered something else. We can deal Heartless and Nobodies easily enough, but a new group has recently made itself known. I normally would not be the one to tell you this, but your King wished it of me."

"A new group? Besides Heartless and Nobodies? How? Why?"

"If we knew that then are problems would be over. These new creatures only appeared once, but once was far too many. The Empire does not like when things go beyond our control. They are immune to all forms of hand weaponry and anything larger has not been tried, but is estimated to fail. These creatures seem to exist in a plane of reality or dimension outside our own, and act as ghosts in this reality."

"They come from another reality?"

"Didn't I just say that." Vader said in annoyance. "The odd things about these creatures are that they act similar to Heartless and Nobodies, they seem to be drawn by some instinct, but are intelligible about this instinct. Where as Nobodies can think and plot, they often have no instinct that drives them unlike the Heartless who are completely driven by it. These creatures are strange in the fact that while we can't hurt them they can really hurt us. This video may be a bit shocking. We've seen so far two things that occur when one of these creatures touches someone." Vader turned the monitor back on.

A large bulbous yellow crab-larva like creature was on the frame, it was transparent and understandably ghost-like. It had three red eyes, two antennae atop its oval shaped head, and its feet looked like insect legs, with the large abdomen or tail dragging along behind it. It had two large crab or maybe scorpion like claws, and when standing upright looked about 9 to 10 feet.

Three troopers stood outside a large house and shot at the creature, behind them was a man cowering in fear, next to him lied the beheaded and bloody body of what looked to be a young girl. The shots went right through the creature and caused more damage to the house than the creature did. The creature hovered slightly off the ground and took a swipe at one of the troopers.

Despite being ghost-like, the claw picked the stormtrooper up and threw him against the wall, the body never hit the ground for the trooper had turned into a pile of salt. The other two troopers continued to fire but ended up in a similar fate to the first one. Soon only the man and beheaded girl was left. The man cowered in fear as the creature made towards him. Making a last moment decision he abandoned the body and fled for the stairs; he never made it.

With speed impossible for most creatures that size the ghost-creature caught the man around the waist and squeezed. Unlike the stormtroopers the man did not dissolve into salt right away but was instead squeezed in half with blood and guts splattering on the floor. There was no volume but it was obvious the fear on the man's face as he died.

Vader paused the video.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Sora moaned.

"That is not the whole of the tape, the way the creature behaves is interesting and one of two things happens to the victims."

"They turned to salt or were brutally killed. How many sightings of these creatures have there been?"

"7. Now watch the rest of the tape."

"You mean there's more?" Sora cried out and Vader ignored him and turned the video back on.

The picture showed the ghost-creature and the two halves of the man and his beheaded girl. The two mutilated bodies began to twitch and for a moment Sora thought they might be alive despite the impossibility. He was quickly proven wrong as the bodies faded out and two new ghost-like creatures, exactly similar the first except for the color formed. The door to the home burst open and twenty armed stormtroopers rushed in and began firing at the three creatures, the creatures faded away.

"They turned into the ghost?"

"That is what we believe, but even the Empire's top scientist have been unable to explain why those two turned into the creatures while the three stormtroopers turned to salt. That man you saw was Grand Moff Regal a citizen of the Empire. At first we thought these creatures were only targeting the Empire, but after finding Rebels and other innocent civilians in the last two attacks, we now believe otherwise."

"Why did you show me this?"

"Because if my Master is correct, then it is likely we will see a large multitude of the creatures appearing soon. If that is so, where as normal weapons failed perhaps a Keyblade will not."

"You want me to take the creatures out?"

"…Come, I shall now take you to see your friends. Discuss nothing of this with them. Alliance or not, this is to remain secret and I shall do everything in my power to see that it stays that way." Sora gulped and watched as Vader logged out of the computer undid everything he had just done and shut it off. He pressed a button on the large console and the door opened. "Your friends are in guest chambers eight and nine, you will be staying in chamber ten. All three doors are connected so I will now lay down the rules."

"Yes, mother." Sora said sarcastically, Vader raised his hand and began to squeeze. Not hard enough to choke to death, but enough to keep Sora from speaking. He continued like Sora had not said anything.

"You are to remain in one of the three chambers at all times, you shall not leave your rooms and if you are hungry you will send one of the droids to let someone know. We should be at the Castle in two days, normally we could already be there, but your King said you would appreciate the two days as being the end of your vacation. I trust you will follow these rules." Vader looked at Sora who nodded quickly. "Very well, I'll now escort you to your quarters."

"Thank you." Sora said to Vader who ignored him and went on his way. Sora quickly re-entered the routine and followed after him.

A/N: For those who can figure out some things good for you, next chapter will have Sora, Riku, and Kairi and the other four Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, and TK-44 for the whole chapter(these four will not be in it for awhile after the next chapter). Thanks to all my reviewers and readers. Look at my profile to see when the next chapter will be.


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

"This is it. This room was originally built for eight soldiers of the Empire, so choose a bed, that is where you will be staying the rest of your life." The stormtrooper codenamed TK-44 said indifferently. The room was actually quite large, unlike most stormtrooper quarters where there was barely enough room to fit one man let alone eight(the standard room number).

It was large but still quite small, it looked as if it could fit a little less than the 6 people and nowhere close to eight. The room seemed to have been created for younger troops or maybe even some of the older ones. On the left side of the room a bunk bed leaned against the wall, on the opposite side were two small beds and one large bed. An entertainment system was hooked up but only included one channel(the Stormtrooper Station). The room also included a large bathroom with both a shower, a bath and spa, and had a door that entered into a large closet that already had many pairs of white armor, black Goth looking dress(possibly a previous owner) and brown raggedly old clothing. Very few stormtroopers ever lived in such a life of luxury, but the Empire needed raw blood from the galaxy and began making the incentives better. The _Executor _was both Darth Vader's personal transport and warship, but also a type of hotel for top imperial officials.

"So we really will never be able to return home. We're stuck here for the rest of our lives?" Selphie asked sadly.

"That is correct."

"So we'll never see our parents or friends ever again?" Tidus asked lying down on one of the small beds. The comforter was gray and a bit dull, adding to the feel that the room was a prison.

"Correct. Although Imperial officers who raise ranks often get some holiday time, so as long as one has guards you may eventually be able to return. Don't worry, this will soon become your home."

"Don't ya have a name?" Wakka asked climbing the ladder and sitting on the top bed of the bunk bed.

"My number is TK-44." The stormtrooper said and Selphie laughed. "Do you find something funny…babe?" Selphie began laughing harder.

"Oh…this…is so…funny!" Selphie said between giggles.

"Did I say something to exhibit the action of amusement or perhaps I said something offensive? I was unaware of what I was doing, I apologize." TK-44 said head bowed down.

"No! You don't need to apologize, it's just that people don't usually say 'babe' when speaking, especially not to a girl they hardly know."

"Ya, Tidus would know about that." Wakka said and was hit on the head by Tidus, TK-44 looked at them confused.

"They don't? Then this book I've been reading on human interactions has been incorrect?" TK-44 put up a book titled _The Average Human Book 1: The Opposite Sex. _

"Oh man, you really need to get some better reading material." Tidus said putting his fingers through his hair.

"Ya, like comics." Wakka said nodding, Selphie groaned.

"Don't let them corrupt you, nice normal books are much better, preferably ones on mechanics and flying." Selphie said excitedly.

"You mean this is not a good book? I bought the whole collection, Books 1 through 23. And what are comics?"

"You really need some help if ya don't know about comics."

"Wakka!" Selphie yelled at the orange-haired boy.

"What?" Wakka asked confused, Tidus was also looking confused not knowing why Selphie was acting the way she was.

"Oh never mind! Hey, TK, you ignored the question." Selphie said walking over and peering at TK-44's helmet.

"I am sorry. It was not intentional. I suppose I must have once had a name, I am not like the other stormtroopers. I am one of the few who is not a clone. I do not know my real name, I am just called TK-44."

"You don't know your name?" Tidus asked puzzled.

"No, when we join the Galactic Empire we erase everything of our pasts, in some ways it is like dehumanizing. I do not remember who I was before the Empire."

"That's not right! They shouldn't take away your name, a name tells who you are!" Selphie said angrily.

"Umm, they won't be doing that to us? Will they?" Wakka asked and immediately the others began to worry.

"I do not know. I suppose only time will tell. Come I must begin teaching you the fundamentals of the Empire, you must have it memorized… We will begin the start of your training at 0600 hours, let's begin." Selphie, Wakka, Tidus, and TK-44 continued to speak and teach one another despite a few arrangements and arguments about the room(Selphie was disgruntled since she was in a room of all boys, and because TK-44 would not remove any of his armor so she could see who or what the stormtrooper looked like). Besides that everything went relatively fine and despite a few awkward moments, everything went off without a hitch. Little did they know they were being watched.

……………

"Sora!" The gleeful form of a red-head slammed into the startled Keyblade Master and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Kairi! I'm so glad you're alright." Sora said and had just let go when he was slapped on the back by Riku.

"Hey, Sora, good to see you." Riku said but Sora managed to catch the hidden meaning 'we'll talk when tin can here leaves'.

"Riku, Kairi I was so worried I would lose you again." Sora said ignoring Vader for the time being, that of course was shortly lived.

"I said they would not be harmed. Now if you'll excuse me I have business elsewhere to attend to, if you can help it, do not leave this room. If you must do so, be cautious not everyone in the Empire wants this alliance to succeed…" Vader left the room with a swirl of his cape and left the three to talk amongst themselves…little did they too know they were being watched.

….

"How right you are Darth, how right you are…"

"Sir, the two you have called for have arrived, shall I tell the guards to allow them in?" A woman with long silky blond hair, pale clear blue eyes, and an exquisite figure dressed in an almost see through dark green suit. She was much more than she appeared however and anyone who had ever fought her would vouch that, of course they all would have to return from the dead to do so.

"Ah excellent. I have no doubts they are quite curious. Yes, let them in, escort them to the dining hall." The man or what looked like a man except for its green skin said the woman. He wore a simple blue, green, and black suit with his hair tied back in a ponytail. On the left side of his vest was a symbol of a black sun. He walked quickly down to the dining hall where his two guests would be waiting.

Upon entering the room he took in the sight of the two people in front of him. One of them had been killed many years earlier and he was quite surprised to see the person alive and kicking, the other was a mystery of its own, and far powerful enough to go about its business through its own devices.

The 1st of the two was neither man, beast, or machine and its reasons for joining with the green-skinned man were unknown. It looked to be male but none knew whether that was true. The entity wore a red robe with a triangle cloth hanging from the neck down to the feet, as well a two black and yellow bands on the forearm. The entity was a pale almost purple color, and out of its back were two large and black purple demonic-looking wings. The entity held with it immense power and between two demonic horns on the ninja-like cone wrappings that covered its entire face leaving only the eyes was a strange symbol. At first glance the symbol looked like the roman numeral six, but if one looked closely there were three of them. The person also had an insignia of a red dragon where its heart would be. Around the persons neck was a single black medallion with a white circle in the middle.

The 2nd of the two was a man thought dead, but apparently he had survived his ordeal to fight another day. Is against the Empire in its entirely as it is the Emperor and his pet Vader who caused his death in the first place. Apparently this man is of the vampire species, thus his death was ineffective, and he has been biding his time waiting for revenge. This man was dressed in dark brown robes, had white hair, and beard, as well as an old-looking face, at his side was a curved cylindrical object similar to that of Darth Vader's. Like the other entity this man also had a red dragon insignia across the area where the heart would be.

"Welcome gentlemen to the largest criminal organization in the Universe. I as you know am the leader of the organization." The man paused folding his reptilian hands in front of him.

"You're point would be? If it is about overtaking the Empire you can send us out now. I was once a pupil of the Emperor he is not quite so easy to kill. Overtaking the Empire would be a fruitless, I do not wish to reveal myself still alive unless I have good need to." The man in brown said sternly.

"Nothing so big. At least not yet…" The ruler of Black Sun said normally like something he would be speaking about over dinner.

"So Prince, what is it you plan?" The voice of the unknown entity spoke in a cold and almost ghostly voice, it was whispered but held the force of an army.

"Don't tell me. It's Kingdom Hearts isn't it?" The man in brown said showing his fanged teeth in his smile.

"Kingdom Hearts? No. Nothing as big, or nothing that big in the beginning. You've heard the tale of the seven princesses of heart, correct?"

"Of course. Maleficent's attempt at gaining control of Kingdom Hearts that ultimately failed. What does that have to do with us?" The man in brown the Count asked.

"Yes Maleficent's plan did indeed fail, yet her plan was brilliant."

"You wish for us to repeat a previous failure?" The entity said menacingly.

"No. Her plan was brilliant yet her way of going about it was entirely wrong. I for one do not wish for Kingdom Hearts, call me fool if you wish. I wish to create Nobodies of the seven princesses of heart. I've heard rumors about the power they have. The Nobody of the girl Kairi was able to erase and plant memories, imagine what the Nobodies of the rest of the princess's of heart would be able to accomplish?"

"What would this cause in the long run, able to change memories, that is all good and all, but it would be impossible to control these princess's of heart. They would destroy you." The Count said shaking his head at the young man's ignorance.

"Ah yes, that could be the case. But it won't be, the darkness is always balanced out by the light, and vice versa. Considering the fact Maleficent only attempted gaining access with seven of the princesses was also a mistake. To counterbalance the princesses of light and their nobodies, we must capture and gain control of the princes of darkness. We are one step ahead of the game as two of the princes are already with us. Show yourselves."

Two figures who had remained unseen by all occupants in the room stepped out from hiding.

The first was dressed entirely in dark blue and black desert clothing. He wore a turban on his head and a strange glove, otherwise he seemed quite normal. His eyes showed loathing and malice, his smile showed cunning, and if one looked deep into the eyes they could see a fiery passion for power.

"Allow me to introduce Mozenrath. Mozenrath is the dark prince of Agrabah. Jafar was as many know destroyed by the Keyblade bearer and Aladdin. With the destruction of his lamp he was defeated, Jafar though had a son. Mozenrath is that son."

"A pleasure. If any of you have heard of my father, I will tell you right now. I am not him. I did not get along that great with Jafar. You wouldn't either if you were abandoned to the desert by the man who helped create you."

"Interesting. The son of Jafar. Hopefully you will not meet the same end as your father." The entity said.

"Yes let us hope. I do not plan on meeting the same end." Mozenrath said flexing his fingers and twirling his gloved hand in the air.

"What is it you are here for then? If not to revenge your father?" The Count asked.

"Merely power. Nothing more, nothing less."

The second was a man dressed in blue armor and hunter's clothing. On the right side of the red shirt underneath the armor was the insignia of the head of a buck. On the man's back was strapped a bow and a arrow carrier, at his side in a sheath was a large broadsword. The man had handsome features and dark brown hair, like Mozenrath his eyes lusted for power.

"This is Gaston. He is the dark prince of the princess Belle's home world."

"Name's Gaston, you don't look like anything special. No idea why Prince Xizor would wish to bring you in on his plans. Frankly I could care less. I mainly want the Beast's head on a platter, everything else is just added benefits." Gaston pulled a mug of beer off the dining room table and drained it one gulp. "The hunt you know. It's always about the hunt."

"Indeed…" Xizor said bluntly, he caught the pale blue eyes of the woman in green as she gave him a signal. "Gentlemen if you will excuse me something important has come up, talk amongst yourselves and get to know one another, we can talk later. Farewell." Prince Xizor stood up and walked over to the woman who whispered in his ear and Xizor's eyes flared red and he swiftly left with the woman in tow behind him.

……………

The land was dark. The trees were barren and white and the sky was blood red. In the distance the sound of a large creature let out its roar of triumph. An owl hooted in the distance and the dark shadows from the trees began to move. It took only a moment before a single figure fell from the sky.

The figure was a girl. A recognizable girl if the Keyblade at her side was any help. The girl had red hair and held the power of the greatest Keyblade wielder in her heart, anything she wished he would do. The worst thing that could ever possibly happen is the princess of the heart turning to darkness.

The girl awoke with a stir hitting and dissolving away a large many-legged centipede that had been preparing to feast while she was out. As her eyes fluttered open they registered fear. She looked down and saw the Keyblade at her feet and realized what needed to be done. Snatching it up quickly she raised it to the surrounding forest of the dead.

"W-who's there?" Kairi whispered to the darkness. She shivered as a blast of cold air hit her from behind, the shadows began to move.

Soon at least a hundred heartless shadows converged upon her, she struck them with fierce fury. She was surprised to see that they vanished at the mere touch of the Keyblade. _They aren't true heartless, true heartless wouldn't go down this easily. There would also be a lot more…_

As if responding to her thoughts a bunch of Nobody Dusks appeared dancing and swaying in a haunting melody of death. Almost taunting her as the heartless and every now and then a dusk or two attacked her. Knowing the numbers were against her she fled, knocking any of the offending creatures out of her way.

She continued to run striking as many of the heartless and nobodies as she could along the way. She did not know where she was going, she only knew stopping would result in death. She attempted to organize her thoughts as she ran.

The last thing she had done before arriving in this nightmarish place was say goodnight to Sora and Riku. _I wonder if they are in the same predicament._ This was the last thing she thought before hearing a clicking noise and seeing as the gate behind her shut. Keeping the heartless and nobodies out by its dark glow, but keeping her inside. She had just run straight into a graveyard…she wasn't alone.

……………

As Kairi had been herded into the cemetery and running from the multitudes of heartless and nobodies, Riku was doing something similar. Instead of running from heartless or nobodies he was running away from a rather large nest of giant spiders.

All around him was a dark forest not dead and empty like the place Kairi was in but green and full of life. It was unfortunate that the life was eight-legged, eight-eyed, made scuttling screeching noises and were the size of a man or bigger. It was also unfortunate that it seemed dead set on killing him.

The giant spiders jumped from trees, attempted to create nets, popped out from underground, and simply ran after him all in an attempt to devour him. There was something strange about these giant spiders however it was almost like they weren't really there, if he struck one with his Keyblade the spider would disappear and another come to take its place. No horrible bloody death, no fading into nothing, no reuniting with shadows…nothing except simply vanish.

Riku had tried to tell himself they weren't real but when he thought that he could definitely feel the hair on the eight legs as it scurried back to the nest. Thankfully a mere touch of the Keyblade and it had vanished and allowed him to continue on his way.

Riku did not question how he had arrived where he did, nor did he care at the moment. He had bigger arachnids to slice and dice. He continued to head south, it was the place the voice had told him to go. _Keep heading south, why? What is south?_

So continuing to run he headed south, after a long while the spiders continued to hurry after him but less in number, eventually all of them just turned around. Riku became even more worried when this happened and with good reason as three figures is shabbily dressed robes stepped out from the safety and began circling him.

The men had no face only two yellow silted eyes, he shouldn't have been surprised when they began sprouting fur and growling at him swinging their fists, and yet he was.

"What the hell are you?" The three hairy men with wolf-like characteristics; both claws and jaws, stopped circling him and the leader spoke.

"**This is merely a task. One I have no doubts you are perfectly capable of completing. When you have finished the task you will come upon a castle, enter. You will find me in the northernmost part. Look forward to seeing you**." The voice disappeared and the wolf-men unfroze growling and snarling at him. He blocked a swipe by a claw from one of them with a Keyblade and continued to block and fight when the voice reappeared. "**Oh, almost forgot. The creatures in front of you are altered werewolves, not real werewolves but just as deadly, do not get bitten.**"

"Oh sure now he tells me." Riku said in annoyance as a werewolf jumped him and wrestled him to the ground jaws snapping, he angrily tried to stick his Keyblade through it but to no avail. "What the hell!"

He hissed in pain as a claw managed to hit his lower back and spill blood. The werewolves were driven into a frenzy and began howling and drooling excitedly. The blood drew the attention of another creature besides the werewolves. "Cerberus!"

In front of him growling a challenge to the three werewolves was a large three-headed black furred and red eyed dog. It flashed it white teeth in warning to the werewolves. The werewolves should have listened. One of them attempted to gut the down and bit at it stomach, its teeth broke as it was torn to shreds. Without warning red ball of light fell from the sky smashing into the forest and burning it to a cinder.

"**Riku! Change of plans with all haste hurry southward to the castle. I have had a breach in security, I will attempt to hold him off as long as possible.**"

"What? Who are you? Why should I listen to you? For all I know you could simply be another Maleficent. Why should I hasten, just let me go." Riku yelled angrily to the sky where the voice was resonating from. A burst of flame behind him made him turn around. He watched as a figure wreathed in flames(he did not know if the figure always looked like that or if it was because of the surrounding forest being incinerated. A large metallic sword was seen as it ripped effortlessly through the two remaining werewolves and quickly beheaded one head of the Cerberus.

"**No time for that now. Hasten to the castle, all will be explained then. I will attempt to hold him off until then.**"

"Who? Who are you holding off, why, who the hell are you!" Riku yelled but received no answer spinning around an explosion rocketed a burst of flame his way, a giant spider took the brunt of the attack and as he began running away he glanced back to see a flash of silver before the figure began to be completely covered in giant spiders, strange man-horses, more werewolves, a large dragon similar to Maleficent, and many other creatures of all shapes and sizes. Seeing the dragon sliced in half made Riku run faster. Southwards to the voice and hopefully some answers.

……………

Sora awoke in a place he was very familiar with. It looked almost exactly the same except for one minor detail, it was cold. Deathly cold. Looking up he saw snow begin to fall from the sky, which clashed oddly with the pure darkness.

Looking down Sora saw the familiar faces of his friends and companions, this time though three new faces had been added. For the first time ever the faces of Roxas, Naminé, and the face of a man Sora was sure he had never met. He couldn't make out the total face because it was blurred, but he could tell the figure had silver hair and blue almost violet colored eyes.

The Station of Serenity. The place where Sora was given his Keyblade and all the powers that came with it. The last time he was there the three items he had to choose from were a shield, sword, and staff. This time however the items were a bit different.

Instead of the shield, sword, and staff there were three golden chests. Sora stepped towards the chests when a flash of light seared around him.

"You have yet to pass my test, Defender of Worlds. You may not be gifted with the power held within, until my test is over." A voice coming from all around him, cold and harsh said to him. The voice was surprisingly familiar.

Sora opened his mouth to speak but found that he couldn't. He brandished his Keyblade threateningly into the air where the voice was coming from. Slowly the platform fell, and continued to fall into the seemingly never ending abyss below. Sora tried to hold on and keep ahead of the circular disc but found he could not. He fell.

……………

Standing before her dressed in black cloth and wielding a large scythe was a skeletally thin person. Just standing among the graves it was a truly eerie sight.

Kairi looked at the figure cautiously. It didn't appear to move, not even breathe, for a moment she thought it was a statue, but then a wave of the scythe proved to her that the being before her was real. Deathly real. Slowly a figure began to form made of bone.

The skeletal figure was neither man nor beast, nor something in-between, it was just a hand. A glowing white hand, pale because of the moonlight. Beside it was another hand making two total, this one was black. The hands just hovered in the air waiting. The figure with the scythe had not finished however and with one third twirl of its scythe a humanoid-skeletal lizard standing upright on two clawed feet glared at her…the eyes were dull and lifeless.

A robed hand from the scythe wielding figure was raised and Kairi saw the truth of the figure. Its hand was completely skeletal no flesh or skin. It raised it hand and in it was a single hourglass filled with sand. He turned it over and the eyes of the lizard-creature in front of her filled with life.

Two giant hands came sweeping at her, she dodged and rolled behind a tombstone. She barely had time to take a breather before a hand came smashing down destroying the tombstone she was hiding behind. Summoning her Keyblade to her she weakly swung at the hand that came near herm, it shattered into a bunch of bones. The other hand same up and pointed a finger at her, she jumped to the side and began running just as a white blue light shot out from the tip of the finger. The light scorched the ground and left a hole three feet big.

"Wow… Good thing I moved." She turned to the remaining hand and brought her Keyblade up preparing to attack. She didn't have the experience that Sora did, but she had been practicing and getting better. Sora had been afraid of someone else coming for her and although a bit reluctant at first he eventually agreed to train her enough to protect herself incase someone came after them again. He had been attacked twice since his return to the Islands, and both times they were people who wanted revenge…

Breaking out of her thoughts, she looked up to see the skeletal hand prepare to come crushing down on her, she raised her Keyblade up awaiting the inevitable. It never came… She looked up to see a rather strange sight of a large black raven and a skeletal mouse. The figure with the scythe was also there and she could finally see what it looked like. She gasped in horror and jumped back.

The figure with the scythe wasn't just skeletal it was a skeleton, a skeleton in black robes. What was really strange however was that the figure was scythe fighting with a figure in front of it that looked exactly the same. The remains of the skeletal hand was scattered around the two.

"So, you got here in time after all. My boss noticed you entering and decided to find out why. He discovered your plans for the three. He sent me to make sure it never happened." One of the skeletal figures said, this one was different from the other only by the voice and red glow of its scythe, otherwise it was a carbon copy.

The other figure said nothing preferring to continue dueling with the scythe, although a skeletal hand did come up and pointed to her, the raven carrying the skeletal rat, flew over to her.

"So you think the rat and bird will get her to safety think again old friend." The skeletal figure with the glowing red scythe pointed a hand at the scattered remains bones and snapped his fingers. The bones all soon began to come together forming a large skeletal hand twice the size of the previous. "Unlike yourself, I use my powers freely and it is of my opinion that flesh is sometimes better than mere bone." The hand slowly began to form a skin covering and it soon evolved into a white glove, atop of it was a half man-half beast little imp.

"SQUEAK!" The skeleton rat squeaked at Kairi. Kairi just stared at the figure trying not to shudder.

"What?" Kairi asked the small rodent.

"SQUEAK!" The rat tried again and Kairi noticed that it too carried a small scythe.

"I'm sorry I can't understand you and frankly I don't know if I want to." Kairi said to it. The three of them were currently behind a tombstone as the hand was being created and coming to life.

"Ah, understandable. Not everyone can understand him, a bit of squeaker he is." The rat raised its scythe menacingly at the raven who had spoken, the raven ignored him. "He said to run towards the gravediggers house."

"You speak?"

"Of course I speak. Although recently I've become translator for this little horror." The raven said sitting on the tombstone and preening himself. "Oh yes I almost forgot, my name is Quoth the Raven. You dare to say the words 'nevermore' and I will get my relatives over at Alfred's to deal with you."

"Uh…nice to meet you Quoth. Who exactly are you two?" Kairi asked and the raven took flight and began flapping, rodent it talons, towards a large black house, Kairi followed.

"Well I am as I said Quoth the Raven, my companion here is simply Ratty." The rat in response tried to swipe its scythe at the raven, apparently that wasn't its real name. "Well I am currently unable to say his real name and you are correct in assuming Ratty is a false name, a real name you can call him by is Dor."

"Nice to meet you Dor. Quoth." The rat paused from its attempt at striking the bird and bowed its tiny head in respect. The three ran/flew towards the large black house the bird and rat answering questions as they could. Kairi learned that what she would need to escape the strange realm was in the house. They had just entered the house and shut the door when the sound of a pulsing heart echoed and resonated through the graveyard.

……………

Riku continued running the sounds of pain and terror behind him, he continued to run until he came upon a lake where he was met with a strange creature.

The creature was black and gangly, it looked like a horrid tortured version of him, its eyes glowed yellow and when it spoke it spoke in a voice that was painful to listen to.

"Sooo." The sound was drawn out like a snakes, and the figure coughed harshly spraying black saliva onto the ground near him. "You is Riku. I is Urik. I is taking you to Master of this Castle. Butss before that happens, you is to fights I." The figure gangly summoned out of nowhere a large ball and chain.

"Your Master wishes you to fight me? Your Master told me to hasten to the castle with all haste, do you hear what's in the forest? Something that frightens even your Master."

The figure of Urik hesitated for a moment before glaring nastily at Riku.

"Liesss all liess. You is trying to tricks I. I is not tricked. I is going to fightss you. Winss and passage across lakess is yours. Losess and I is taking Keyblade fromss you, but life is yours to keeps."

"You idiot! Can you not hear the cries in the forest! If you truly are a servant of your Master you shall let me pass!"

"Enoughss. Preparess to lose!" The creature with amazing agility even though it was carrying a ball and chain swung it around him expertly and dangerously, it often would stretch and shrink at will as it twirled around. Riku had to do his best not to be hit by it, he summoned his Keyblade.

"Ah, yesss. Pretty little bladess. I is soon to havess." The ball which was spiked came dangerously close to Riku's head he blocked it with his Keyblade. The ball and chain was soon wrapped around it.

"Let me pass you fool!" Riku shouted, the cries in the forest were beginning to lessen.

"Fool is I! I is no fool! I is Urik! I is no longer going to playss nice!" Urik yanked the chain and the Keyblade was flung from Riku's hand, and imbedded itself in a tree nearby.

"Is you surrendering? You is weaponless." Urik said sneering.

"Am I?" Riku said with a grin and the Keyblade suddenly appeared in his hand.

"What is thisss?" Urik cried doing a backwards summersault to avoid the blade of the Keyblade.

"This is the Keyblade don't tell me you didn't know."

"Is cheating it is! Fine if cheat is you, then cheat is I!" Suddenly the ball and chain vanished leaving a large spiked whip in its place. Urik grasped the handle of the whip and grinned nastily, the edge of the whip suddenly sprouted sharp metal thorns.

Urik struck out the whip and managed to nick Riku's leg, soon with a speed he had never seen before, Riku was feeling stings and burns throughout his whole body, Urik was a master with the whip though and he was never more than grazed by the whip yet he felt intense pain all the same, Riku had no doubt that the creature was toying with him. If Riku thought he was good with the ball and chain he was superior with the whip. The sounds in the forest had died down, only the occasional cry or fall of a tree now being heard.

"Urik did not wish to hurtss you so much. You left I with no choice. Surrender yetss?"

"N-never!" Riku managed to cry out as he struggled to move in the agony he was in.

"I is impressed. Those wounds could kill one of lesser strengthsss. Shame. If you can not beatss I, how can you hopesss to win the challengesss you shall soon face? Much work you needsss, if hopess to overcome enemies you wish." Urik said and raised the whip again this time the metal spikes began to spin.

"I seek answers. Let me through to your Master!" Riku screamed and with agility far unimaginable he was on his feet and charging Urik once more. Urik's face which was once amusement turned to one of horror as he looked at him. The sounds in the forest were no more, and it grew colder. Urik sidestepped Riku's attacked and pushed him into a boat which abruptly shot off to the other side of the lake. Riku turned around and watched as the creature Urik faced off with the same figure he had seen in the forest, he still was unable to make out a face and soon the two figures had disappeared entirely, in the fog of the lake, he could hear the fighting that was going on however.

As he reached the other side of the lake he crawled out of the boat and stumbled to the large door to the castle, the distant sounds of fighting had faded entirely and Riku was beginning to realize time was running out.

……………

Sora fell, and as he fell he relived his memories, mainly the memories of the Organization. He kept reliving the memories, over and over. Soon a purple light shown below and he hit ground.

Sora looked around it looked just as bad if not worse than where he had just come from. Surrounding him were shadows and the shadows glistened with a purple light. Figures began appearing in the darkness, soon he was encircled by many faceless figures. A white light randomly blazed to brilliance and he saw the figures of the forms.

Surrounding him were seven familiar faces of Organization XIII. Luxord, Sa_i_x, Xemnas, Demyx, Axel, Xaldin, and Xigbar. Quickly summoning his Keyblade to him he prepared to attack. _How are they alive? I defeated them!_

"That you did, Defender of Worlds, this is my test you will continue to face these members of Organization XIII, until I say otherwise. There is something that you must learn through these battles. The Organization is defeated, or at least these members of it are."

"Some of the other members survived? Who?"

"You do not remember it young one, but you already fought the other members. You fought them in Castle Oblivion, but your memory has been erased of that incident. As for the two that survived I do not know their identities. Someone or something has been keeping it from us."

"Us? There's more of you?" Sora asked surprised.

"Yes, now I leave you to my test, once you have solved it, we will talk again…" The light vanished and Sora was left to fight replicas of the Organization in pure darkness. He couldn't help but wonder who the survivors were and what there plan would be. The replicas came to life all at once and one by one stepped up to fight him. One-by-one…

A/N: I just realized the other day that I had not yet submitted a chapter, I've actually had this done for a while and just forgot to put it up….for that I apologize. This chapter actually goes better with the next chapter, which should be up soon(much sooner than this one did). Next chapter will be out by next Sunday though(unless internet or is down). If you want to see my comments about this chapter read my profile. Enjoy.


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